Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary K.K. Ragesh has accused the Youth Congress of orchestrating a pre-planned provocation that led to the violent clashes at Malapattam, calling the attack on the party’s local committee office deliberate and without any trigger from the Left cadre.
Addressing the media, Mr. Ragesh claimed that the rally from Chuliyad to Malapattam was designed to incite violence. “At every stage, it was the Youth Congress workers who raised provocative slogans. This was not a spontaneous incident but a premeditated act by ‘goonda’ groups,” he alleged.
On the controversial slogan raised during the rally, Mr. Ragesh said that the Youth Congress leaders even indirectly admitted that their party was behind the ‘murder’ of Dheeraj Rajendran, the SFI activist and student of Idukki Painavu Engineering College, who was fatally stabbed in 2022. They knew such a statement would provoke strong emotions and unrest, he added.
He further alleged that glass bottles and stones were hurled at the CPI(M) office, even as senior leaders like T.K. Govindan tried to calm party workers. Mr. Ragesh also accused a section of the media of distorting facts.
He also demanded proper investigation into the incident and strict action against those responsible.
He said CPI(M) workers had exercised restraint despite heavy provocation.
Published – May 15, 2025 11:08 pm IST
